The Limits of Tolerance
by brenstal
Summary: Will is secretly homophobic, and after a long, horrible day he can't contain his disgust anymore. Klaine and Brittana.
1. Terrible Day

A/N: This is based on a Glee Angst Meme prompt here: glee-angst-meme .livejournal .com/ ?thread=12958438#t12958438

Will prided himself on his tolerance. For all Puck's juvenile delinquency and Rachel's self-centeredness and Brittany's ditzyness, he never hurt his kids. No matter what he thought of them, Will let everyone join his Glee Club. He tried to put aside their issues to find what good was there for him to bring out.

This was especially hard when he was dealing with Kurt. Will saw the disgusted expressions of the students at McKinley and adults at the competitions. No wonder the student body called the club homo-erections. Every year it seemed like Kurt became more outrageous. At least when he was a sophomore Kurt would tone it down, not be open about his deviance. But by his junior year he was practically a one-man gay pride parade. Of course, even then Will didn't find Kurt too unsettling. It wasn't like the boy really acted on his desires. He was still a child who needed guidance. This year, though, Kurt dragged his boyfriend to the school. Will remembered the audition, with Kurt giving Blaine a good luck kiss before Blaine sang a pop song originally by a woman. Suddenly Kurt's gayness, all those uncomfortable comments and crushes, had been fully realized. Kurt was no longer just some child; he was a tall, developed man dating another man. When Will saw them together, all he could think about sometimes was the depraved things they did. In the choir room they were always all over each other, too. Nuzzling together and shoving their faces into each other.

Will is still tolerant of them invading his Glee club, though their behavior nags at his senses. They have no right to flaunt their relationship in everyone's face. Didn't they think it would make people uncomfortable? And the bad behavior was rubbing off on the other kids. Brittany and Santana, who were already over sexualized, had taken what was obviously silly experimenting and made a real "relationship" over the summer. So he had to watch their constant petting as well.

Will was going to be a good teacher, though. The school rules had an anti-discrimination section that included gays, and he wasn't going to violate it directly just to pick a fight with a few misguided teenagers. He remembered the Berrys' lawsuit against the school board a few years ago about changing the contact cards to allow for the inclusion of a two-father household. He also remembered the imposing, strong figure of Mr. Hummel as he protested that his son really deserved to be able to sing some girly song, with no regard for how stupid Will's glee club would look with Kurt screeching like a ten year old girl. No, he didn't outwardly discriminate against Kurt. He let the boy dance with everyone else in the group, and let him do vocal harmonies. Finn and Rachel were talented and relatable, they deserved the attention he put on them.

With all the gayness permeating his space, Will was happy to see Dave Karofsky on the day of auditions. That such a well know jock had decided to join glee would probably help the club's reputation. If Glee Club was going to be the powerhouse it was during his glory days, it was going to be through kids like Dave with a popular name and a winning smile. Kurt seemed to have gotten over whatever issues he and Dave had last year, and the other members were equally pleasant toward Dave. Yes, even though Will wasn't pleased with every aspect of the club's interactions, he was looking forward to this year.

However, for all his hopes concerning nationals and the future of Glee, Will was just not feeling very pleasant today. He had overslept that morning, and had barely had time to shower and gel down his hair before he had to be in his car to get to work. His classes had been unusually rowdy. A couple girls got into a very heated fight in the cafeteria at lunch that was going to force the staff to be required to attend another crowd control and conflict resolution meeting that evening to discuss the strategies used to stop these kinds of fights between students (as if these meetings were anything but a waste of everyone's time.) Finally in his free period he got into a new argument with Emma. This day was supposed to be a breeze for him, but it was turning into a nightmare.

At least he could anticipate a light day with his kids in the Glee Club. It was the third week of school, and he had known that some of his students were already starting to struggle with their new classes. He had decided earlier in the week that a duet competition would be just the thing to take some pressure off. There would be plenty of performances to take up class time and most of the kids could pull something together pretty fast with only two people to please.

Of course, now that it was the day of the performances, he realized too late that he should have assigned the pairs. Walking in, he was met instantly by Rachel's over-eager face as she held some music sheets. Finn stood awkwardly behind her, smiling nicely. "Mr. Shue, as Finn and I do have the kind of love only elsewhere seen in great works of poetry, I feel that we should set the example today for this competition."

Will rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, taking a deep, calming breath. "Fine, Rachel. I'd love to see what you've prepared." He offered a reassuring smile before slipping into one of the front row seats. He turned backwards, placing a stern look on the other seated glee club members. "This competition will be judged by you, like it was last time. Give everyone a chance, and vote for the pair who you think did the best."

Pausing to glance at the pairs sitting together, Will struggled to hold in his scowl. Of course all the couples would want to perform their own sappy, indulgent love songs to each other. Any other day he would have mustered up some excitement at hearing his kids sing, but today he really just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep. His fight with Emma hadn't left him in the mood to watch other people be serenaded. Plus, he really didn't want to watch Santana and Brittany or Kurt and Blaine corrupt a traditional duet.

He sat silently by as Rachel and Finn preformed their song, trying to project as many good thoughts as possible. He didn't recognize their choice, but it sounded like it came from a musical. He jadedly watched Rachel's eyes light up as she gracefully moved around the room, followed clumsily by a smiling, adorable Finn. Rachel's voice soared. Will could feel a stress headache coming in, but he tried to push it back to listen to his students. He clapped as it finished; at least they weren't making fun of the Priesthood this year.

Next Lauren walked confidentially up, followed by a suave-faced Puck. "We're singing 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' by Stevie Wonder. Now, Stevie isn't technically a Jew, but I saw a guy from Temple sing the hell out of this a couple weeks ago, so it still counts." He grabbed Lauren's slack hand, "Besides, anything for my woman." Lauren smiled before she could stop herself and started pulling Puck to the center of the room. Will let his mind drift as Lauren and Puck preformed an odd mix of what looked like spontaneous choreography interrupted by incredibly close singing. They took turns singing to each other as they moved. Puck burned with a passion that Will admired him for. They were a cute couple, despite the tough shells. When did he become so pathetic that his students had better love lives than him?

After Puck and Lauren sat down, Mercedes popped up with a slightly hesitant Dave Karofsky on her arm. Mercedes turned to the class, "Dave's gunna be the Stevie to my Aretha," she said, snapping her fingers for the band to start. The two kept to a light, fun choreography. They mostly relied on putting power into their voices. By this song Will was ready to end the lesson early. His head hurt, he could feel how messy his hair must have become, and he knew he had at least fifty Spanish quizzes to grade before he could hop into bed. He barely registered when Mercedes was finally done whaling out the final notes, but he jumped into the clapping. He was an educator, he needed to stick this out. He was almost halfway through, anyway.

For Will, the next couple performances started blurring together. Tina sang an eerie-sounding song as Mike danced slowly with her, moving with the words. Artie and Quinn had both been angry after their respective separations. They chose not to sing a love song, but instead a bitter version of "Good Riddance" that left Will feeling just as annoyed as them.

He managed to sit through Santana and Brittany's lackluster performance without too much hair-pulling. It's not that their voices aren't lovely, but "Songbird" is a little deep for some high school fling. It's not that he's trying to be shallow, it's just Brittany and Santana aren't really the kinds of people that epic love songs are written about. Still, he smiles tightly at them as they grab hands and move back to their seat. They might think their love is some eternal flame, but Will understands that this is a phase for the girls, something they're experimenting with.

A/N2:

In case anyone cares what songs the pairs sing in this, I'm adding my list here. It's not really important to the story, except to get a better feel for the room and the progression of things. The only really important song is "A Whole New World." I'm not good at song selection, but I needed some kind of build up to the next part. So, excuse any songs that are kind of a stretch. I just don't have a very good knowledge of modern music, and none of the gleeks have shown a preference for classic rock…

Rachel/Finn: Tarzan Musical – For the First Time

Lauren/Puck: Stevie Wonder – Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Mercedes/Karofsky: Stevie Wonder & Aretha Franklin – Until You Come Back To Me

Mike/Tina: Florance and the Machines - Drumming Noise

Artie/Quinn: (For my story, they would have been kind of abandoned by their old love interests. So, I thought they'd be bitter? Imagine it a little slower.) Green Day – Good Ridance

Santana/Brittany: Fleetwood Mac - Songbird… Again. I just think it would be really cute if they sang this together in front of everyone when they came out and had a relationship.

Blaine/Kurt: A Whole New World


	2. A Whole New World

It wasn't that Will was surprised that the gay students decided to sing with their significant others, but he hadn't realized how seeing these teens flaunt themselves and their lifestyles once again would make him feel so frustrated.

Next, and finally last, were Kurt and Blaine. Will watches Kurt prance his way to the front, Blaine walking at his heel. When they got up to the front, they shared an intimate, significant smile, before Kurt's face changed to a haughty expression. "Blaine and I will be performing 'A Whole New World,' from Aladdin. We picked this song because we feel like finding each other has made our lives fantastic and new. Also, it won an Oscar and is worthy of me."

God Damn it. Will has always hated this song, ever since his little niece had developed her obsession with Aladdin. It was like scratching a chalk board for him. He did not need to watch Blaine and Kurt muddle their way through a Disney classic. He slumped into his chair a little as Blaine began singing the song. Kurt had moved off to the side, giving Blaine the center of attention. Blaine faced the glee kids for a few seconds, before turning to Kurt.

_"No one to tell us no, or where to go, or say we're only dreaming,"_

The two boys grabbed hands and Kurt took over singing. The boys looked into each other's eyes, Kurt radiating. Will couldn't help but cringe at their gaudy, affectionate gestures. They were supposed to be performing a duet for the club, but instead they were so wrapped up in themselves that they didn't pay attention to their audience. Then Kurt and Blaine spun around a couple times, like they were dancing. Blaine lifted Kurt's hands up to kiss them, and suddenly Will was standing up from his seat.

"Don't you think that you might be making us uncomfortable?" Will said. The music cut off in a cacophonous slash. Kurt and Blaine separated immediately, sending Will twin hurt expression. Will sighed. Of course this was bad timing, but he had been meaning to talk to the boys about PDA. He just hadn't worked out the right way to explain it. "I mean, you guys being so touchy-feely with each other. It's really more appropriate to save that kind of behavior for somewhere more private."

Will saw Blaine pulling his face into something diplomatic and approachable. Good, maybe at least Blaine would be reasonable. "What exactly makes you uncomfortable? The other couples danced around and touched each other." Blaine's voice seemed strained, but at least he was being polite.

Beside him, Kurt's face fell. The boy didn't take criticism well. Since Will had met him, the flamboyant teenager had been nothing but stubborn to personal growth. Kurt folded his arms over his stomach protectively, his eyes staring searchingly into Will's.

Will pressed his lips firmly together for a minute, thinking of a good way to say this. He directed his eyes to Blaine's hesitant expression. "You and Kurt, you're a little more brazen than the other couples. I mean, your fellow club members don't need to watch you two curled up together all the time. I just think you should keep a little space, because sometimes it can be embarrassing watching you guys together." If Will's mouth curled a little at the mental image, it was only because he's unaccustomed to such uninvited displays in his classroom. "I just think it would be a good idea for you guys to tone it down."

"But Mr. Shue, Blaine and I do the same things that Mike and Tina do. Have you ever looked over at them?" Kurt's voice was raw. His eyes were misting over, creating a dramatic, emotional appearance. Kurt's voice became louder and shriller as he continued, "If they can do that, and Lauren and Puck can flirt their way through a love song, and Finn can hold Rachel's hand, then I don't see what's wrong with Blaine and I doing a duet together like everyone else."

Will sighed loudly. Why didn't they just get it? They must have noticed the way people looked at them, how people reacted to their brash attention-seeking. It was a totally normal response to feel uneasy around two gay men being together like that. "It's different though, Kurt. The other kids don't push their relationship in everyone's face." Will answered in a stern voice.

Blaine opened his mouth to speak, taking a heavy step forward, when Kurt placed his hand on Blaine's chest to stop him. Kurt seemed to become startlingly more controlled. He put on a tough face, stood momentarily taller, and scowled, "Come on, you're going to lecture us about being too handsy when you and Ms. Holiday were all over each other last year? And God, I've seen seventh graders who have more grown-up relationships than you and Ms. Pillsbury. How many times has the club been affected by your moody, unbalanced love life? Don't you think you're a little hypocritical attacking me and Blaine for daring to hug each other in the choir room?"

Will had rarely had Kurt's venom aimed at him, but the boy always knew exactly where to bite. It only made him madder, hearing his student talk to him with such disrespect. "I'm not being hypocritical." he replied angrily, "I stand up there every day watching you two go at each other. It's disgusting, and I'm saying that I don't want to see it in my classroom. You and Blaine force people to watch your unnatural, perverted romance; it just makes both of you look like freaks." Will didn't know when he had started yelling, but when he finally stopped the silence startled him.

The room became still for a moment. Blaine stood with barely-concealed rage, his body alert and seething. Kurt, standing beside him, slumped into himself. He put his hand over his face, covering up a loud sob. This jarred Blaine into action, grabbing Kurt's shoulder and walking him out of the room before Will could process what was happening. Behind him, Will heard the shuffling of feat and the sliding of chairs as Santana and Brittany followed close behind. Brittany turned back to Will as she left, her face drooping into an innocent, child-like frown. Santana didn't look back at all, she just tugged Brittany forward. She slammed the door behind them on her way out.


	3. We're Family

"Mr. Shue, what was that?" he heard Artie ask from nearby. Will turned around, standing in front of ten pairs of shocked, judging eyes. He had been so concentrated on the two boys and their behavior that he had forgotten that the rest of the Glee Club was there as well. Will felt his chest tighten. He rubbed his hands together self-consciously.

He had trouble finding the words to explain what had just happened. It had gotten so out of control, and he had let a student get to him. He hadn't meant to phrase his criticism so badly, to make it seem like he was discriminating against them. He was just so frustrated about the whole day, and Kurt was so infuriating. How could one kid be so full of insults one minute, then so sensitive the next? He would have to find a way to prove to them later that he hadn't meant it the way it sounded. Will was tolerant of their sexuality, he just wanted them to stop making out in front of him.

"Mr. Shue?" Mercedes hurt expression was turning into something fiercer as she waved her finger in the air, "I don't know what the hell you were thinking treating my boy like that, but I'm not staying in this room with some bigoted, butt-chinned white man as my best friend cries in the hallway. You best think about your life." She stood up and moved to grab her bag and Kurt's satchel, stomping across the room. Quinn followed her, pointing cold eyes at Will as he left.

Tina looked equally mad as she and Mike started to leave, "Do you think Santana and Brittany are disgusting too? Is that really what you're thinking when you see them?" She darkly continued, "You tell us to feel good about ourselves; then you just cut them down like you don't even care." She started to cry tears of anger as she and Mike hurried to the door.

"True that!" Artie chimed in, rolling behind them, "we're a family now, and you don't diss my bros in front of me."

"No, guys, I didn't mean it like that. I don't have a problem with them being gay." Will said, backing toward the wall. "I just said it the wrong way-"

"How can you say that the right way?" Dave said, standing in front of his chair. He looked so upset, so pained, "I'm so tired of people like you. People who act like you're ok with it, but you really go home and talk about those fags who keep shoving it in your face. My dad is one of you. You're why I'm scared of coming out. Well, know what? I'm gay too. You can just deal with it." He stormed out of the room.

"I… Guys, calm down. You're overreacting." Will felt like he was losing control of the classroom. Everyone still in the room was beginning to leave. Puck and Lauren both took on an aggressive posture as they strode out, Lauren stopping in the door way to sneer at him before leaving. Shue was overwhelmed, "I've never called a gay person in this club anything like that."

"I recognize that your own heteronormative life experience might cause you not to realize your inclination toward homophobia," Rachel began, looking determined and serious, "but what you just said was very offensive. You say that you don't feel comfortable around gay men acting like they are attracted to men. That's a kind of discrimination, Mr. Shue." She walked toward the door, her voice sounding cool and hurt, "I didn't think you were like that."

Finn stayed after the rest of the kids left. He moved intensely to stand in front of his teacher, "Mr. Shue, there's nothing disgusting about Kurt. He's great. Him and Blaine, they feel the same way I feel about Rachel. And you stomped on that. I'm sorry, but I can't have that kind of poison in our lives. I looked up to you like a father. Mr. Shue, what you just did, I can't think of you that way anymore." Finn followed the other kids out into the hallway, closing the door. Will was left with an empty room. He frowned, going over his words in his head. Was what he said really that bad?


	4. Abducted by Albanians

Mercedes Jones was a strong-willed, unstoppable woman. She was a self-declared diva, and damn proud of it. She was also a loyal, protective friend. She did not sit by while some jerk hurt people important to her. Except, she had. She thought of herself, slack jawed and shocked as Will layed into Kurt and Blaine with his ignorant comments. She hadn't done anything, not until it was too late. She could cry now. Because Mercedes was a strong person, but she was also a person with a big heart who couldn't deal with Kurt's sob echoing around in her ears.

She walked through the hallway quickly, letting Quinn fall behind. She listened and watched for any sign of the missing Glee Club members. She went through one empty hallway, turning toward a shorter side hall that didn't get much traffic. There, slightly ajar with light streaking out, a girls bathroom caught her eye. She rushed over, listening for any sign of her friends.

Before she got to the door, she heard Kurt's distinct, richly unique voice, "I just really trusted him. I thought he supported me." Kurt sounded like he was trying to hold in his hurt and make it sound more flipant, but he failed to be anything but heartbreaking. She felt herself slow down near the entrance, listening.

"Yeah, I don't know." Santana's voice sounded raspier than usual. She heard Brittany's muffled sniffle as Santana continued. "It's like Coach Sylvester always says: never trust any man who uses that many hair products." Kurt scoffed nasally, and Brittany hummed in agreement.

Mercedes steeled herself to enter. She pushed the door completely open. The first thing she saw was Santana sitting on the floor leaning against the wall in front of the sinks, with Brittany curled up at her side. Brittany's face was buried in Santana's shoulder, and Santana barely acknowledged Mercedes with a glance as she rubbed Brittany's back and leaned her chin on top of the blonde's soft hair.

Turning to the opposite wall, Kurt was sitting on the counter where the sinks where, and Blaine was leaning against it next to Kurt with their hands intertwined. She could see the fresh streaks of tears across Kurt's face, and it surprised her that Blaine's eyes were also red-rimmed and wet.

Mercedes's face softened and her stomach dropped. "I'm so sorry, y'all. I walked out; I couldn't even stay in there after that." She moved over next to Kurt at the sink. She put her hand out to pull him into a side hug, and he weakly reciprocated.

Outside, they could hear footsteps and the distinctive sound of Artie's wheelchair. The door flung open again, and Artie barreled in with Tina and Mike behind him. "Are you ok?" Tina asked, turning her head around the room. "We were all yelling at Mr. Shue. None of us agree with him."

Kurt smiled softly. Santana even seemed touched that they had people so willing to stand behind them. Brittany pulled her head from Santana's side, her face red. "Mr. Shue is always good. Something must be wrong." Her eyes grew momentarily wider, "Maybe the real Mr. Shue was abducted by Albanians."

"No, Brittany, that was the real Mr. Shue," Santana said, pulling Brittany to her side again. She looked in front of her, toward the other Glee Club members, "Sometimes people just hide how they actually feel really well." She sounded sad and tired.

Tina and Mike sat at Brittany's side, and Artie backed up in front of the wall. Quinn walked in too, standing next to Mercedes. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest. "Mr. Shue is still trying to convince people that he isn't a homophobic liar. I think everyone's going to walk out on him." Mercede's allowed herself to look momentarily pleased, "How are you guys?"

Blaine jumped up to sit on the counter next to Kurt. "It kind of feels like a punch in the gut. I thought he was a nice guy, but all along he's probably been thinking horrible things about us. I wonder if he hated us for joining." His eyes panned over Brittany and Santana, before settling a concerned gaze on Kurt. "I can't imagine how hard it would be if I had known him for years."

Kurt turned his head toward the floor. "Being part of this club is what made me brave enough to come out," he looked over at Mercedes, and she shared a meaningful smile with him.

"It wasn't really him though. It was us, together, accepting each other. We don't need him to be New Directions." Mercedes replied. She felt Kurt tug her tighter into a real hug, and Blaine joined them at Kurt's side.

They broke apart as Mercedes could hear Rachel's shoes clogging loudly down the hallway. Rachel threw open the door. "I can't believe Mr. Shue. This is ridiculous. You know, my two gay dads have the ACLU and half the school board members on speed dial."

Mercedes saw the alarm return to Kurts face as he leaned forward on the counter. "No, Rachel. I don't need my dad getting a second mortgage to put me back in Dalton and burning this school down. We can't sue the school over this."

Santana nodded silently on the floor. "Porcelain has a point; I don't need more idiots throwing frozen drinks in my face for getting everyone's favorite Spanish teacher fired."

Rachel signed, "Well, we have to do something. I can't sit in that classroom everyday with him there."

A/N: So, point of view might have been a little screwy here. Cause, I need to swap the character I'm focusing on while Will's up there being all confused and stupid. My next part is probably going to focus mostly on the guys comforting Dave.


	5. Locked Closets

Dave's heart was pounding and his cheeks flushed red. He felt restless, like he wanted to crawl out of his own skin. He bolted down the hallway looking for somewhere to hide, before finding a small door-sized nook when the janitor's closet recessed a few feet into the wall. Dave took shelter in the small area. He pulled at the doorknob, trying to get inside while he figured out what to do next, but the locked door had no mercy. He backed up against the wall at his left side, slumping back against the cool, firm cement bricks. Dave rubbed his hands over his near-shaven head as his mind took stock of what he had just done. He told them he was gay. Who had been in the classroom? Definitely Shue, Finn, and Puck, maybe some of the girls too.

"Fuck!" he growled, making a sound of exasperation. He beat his fists behind him, against the relentless bricks. The whole school would find out, and everyone would hate him. This was going to ruin his life.

He could barely hear the sound of sneakers behind the wall before Puck and Lauren were at his side. "Dude, you're gay," Puck said in a way that wasn't questioning or judging, just sort of shocked. He didn't elaborate; he just stared at Dave like he'd never seen him before, his mouth slightly agape.

Lauren punched her boyfriend lightly on the forearm, breaking him out of his stupor. She turned her full attention to Dave, looking him in the eye, "And we're cool with that. You're safe with us. We don't let anyone mess with our friends." She smiled slyly before gesturing to herself, "Unless you give me a reason, then I'll hurt you."

Dave was still panicking internally, but it was lessened by the idea that they had come to find him. These people, jocks like him, didn't just abandon him as he freaked out in the hallway. There had been so many times where someone would tell him that they cared, that he was 'my man, Dave' or that he was 'the best,' but he would always think _'only because you don't know.'_ Puck and Lauren knew, and they were still here. "We're friends?" he asked, flinching at how weak his voice sounded.

"Yes, Sasquatch, we're friends," Lauren said.

"Damn right. You're one of my boys now." Puck held his fist out for Dave to bump it.

Finn walked over to them, looking devastated. He turned to Dave first. "Dude, are you okay? Rachel told me to tell you that I accept you for who you are. But, like, I really do." He attempted one of his charming, Finn Hudson smiles, but it fell flat. "And we won't tell anyone unless you want us too. Not even the other people in Glee. You can trust us."

Dave launched himself into a hug with Finn before he could process wanting to. If Finn had backed away or made a snide comment, it probably would have destroyed Dave. But, thankfully, Finn just lightly put his arms around Dave. Lauren patted him on the back. "I… Thank you so much."

"It's nothing, man," Finn said, letting Dave be the one who broke the contact. "And if you need anything, we know now. So you can talk to us. Or Kurt, he would probably be great to talk to about that stuff."

"Kurt already kind of knows. He's been helping," Dave stood up straighter, "Where did they go when they left the classroom anyway?" It wasn't a subtle change of topic, but Dave just wasn't accustomed to talking about the gay think. He really needed to have something else on his mind, even if his heart was beating more normally and his anxiety was starting to be overcome by a feeling of warm contentment.

"Oh, yeah, Tina texted me while I was finding you guys. They're in the girl's bathroom in the Science Hall. We should go find them." Finn started moving in that direction, turning his head back to make sure the other three were following. Dave had never been gladder that he had decided to give this stupid singing club a chance.


	6. Hiding in the Bathroom

A/N: This is super short, but don't worry. My next update will be much longer and told from Will's perspective again.

Finn was disappointed with Mr. Shue. He hated the idea that someone who he had trusted could be so nasty to his stepbrother and friends. Finn felt like Mr. Shue had lied to him. The teacher portrayed this picture of love and acceptance, but he actually had a darker mind than he had ever let on. Losing that image of Mr. Shue as this admirable, great man that Finn wanted to grow up to become left him feeling lost. How could Finn trust what Mr. Shue said anymore when the man had been holding in this hateful side of himself for over two years?

Underlying that pain, however, was a sense of pride that left Finn standing taller and walking more purposely. He had finally stood up for Kurt like Burt had asked him too. He was the man that his mom thought he was, with courage to defend what's right even when it meant going against a person he respected. He also reacted to Dave the way that he should have been to Kurt. He felt good about his own actions, even if Mr. Shue had caused so much grief.

Finn led Lauren, Puck, and Dave to the Science Wing, and they found the bathroom quickly in such a small hallway. All the other Gleeks were sitting on the floor or counter together when they arrived.

Puck balled his hands into fists. "Whatever you want to do about this, I'm backing you." He growled to the collection of students already in the bathroom.

"Thank you, Puck." Blaine said sincerely, "That means a lot."

"I'm behind you too. I feel so stupid; I never knew he thought like that," Finn looked down at the scratched tile, annoyed at himself for overlooking this glaring fault.

"That's ok, Finn," Brittany said from the floor, "Some people are good at pretending to be nice when they're actually mean." Santana nodded from next to her.

"Yeah." Finn agreed. He felt the heaviness in the room, but didn't know what to say after that.

Eventually, they settled into smaller groups to talk about lighter subjects. Finn could hear words pepper in from each group. Puck, Tina, Brittany, Mike, and Santana talked about the dangerous new cheerleading routine Sylvester had designed. Artie, Lauren, and Dave were in a heated argument about college football teams. He, Kurt, Blaine, Rachel, and Mercedes talked about how annoying their teachers were this year, with the purposeful exclusion of their last teacher of the day. Everyone just wanted a distraction. Even thought the underlying betrayal made the room tense, all the Gleeks stayed on the hard bathroom floor or cold countertops for over half an hour. None of the teenagers explained their reluctance to leave right away, but Finn knew that he was hiding in the girls' bathroom for so long because he was scared of walking into Mr. Shue when they came out.

When Finn and Kurt got into Kurt's Navigator, with Finn obviously relegated to the passenger seat, he asked the question he had been considering since he came into the bathroom. "So, what are we going to do about Mr. Shue? I don't think I would like Glee Club anymore with him as the teacher."

Kurt's face turned into something menacing and dark. "Finn, don't worry about it. Santana, Rachel, and I are working on something." He started the engine to his car, and Finn let the familiar soundtrack of Gypsy distract him from any further conversation.


	7. Options

Will hadn't looked that hard for the kids the afternoon before when they abandoned him. He figured they needed time to cool down before he talked to them. They had all been so angry, and the charged emotional state of his club had made it impossible for him to explain himself well.

When he walked into the school the next day, Will had no plan for what he would do when he saw his glee kids that afternoon. Hopefully they had become more rational after they thought about what he really said. He hadn't told them that he disliked the gay members; he just didn't want to be around them when they were being physical with each other. He felt like some of the guys of the club could probably sympathize with him.

Will wished that he had his Glee Club students in his classes. The few who had taken Spanish with him had already gone on to upper level Spanish classed taught by the other Spanish teacher or opted out of continuing with the language. In the halls his students always seemed out of reach, and he didn't see them at their usual tables at lunch. He would just have to wait until Glee Club practice to talk to them.

Will walked to the choir room with a stack of sheet music in his hands. It was finally 3:30, time for Glee Club to begin. He almost expected for the room to be empty when he arrived, but every student had come. Will took this as a good sign. He placed the sheet music on the piano and then went up to the front of the room. Looking at their faces, many of them still looked upset and angry. He hoped that he could reassure them.

"I'm glad to see that cooler heads have prevailed, and you've all come back today. I feel like I need to explain what I meant yesterday." He glanced over to Kurt and Blaine. Will noticed that their seats were further apart than normal and they each had their arms folded in front of them. Good, they had taken his suggestions to heart. The icy glare that Kurt sent him still showed a bad attitude, though. "I'm sorry that I phrased my reprimand the way I did, and that you guys became so offended. I just feel uncomfortable around you boys when you're being so open with your public displays of affection. I hope that we can-"

"Mr. Shue," Rachel interrupted him. She didn't sound like her overeager self. Really, her voice was strangely bitter.

"You can talk later, Rachel. I really need to say that-"

"We voted today at lunch for the duets competition." She began walking up to him, carrying little white slips of paper. She shoved them into his hand. "You should count them." She sat back down in the front row. He looked at the paper.

The first sheet had 'Kurt and Blaine' written in large letters, with a star over the "i" in Blaine's name. Well, of course Rachel would vote for Kurt. They had gotten close lately. He flipped to the next paper, 'Blaine and Kurt' written in Puck's boxy, large handwriting. He shuffled through a few more, seeing the same names on each slip. Finally he found Kurt's curvy handwriting with "Santana and Brittany" written on the slip, and a handwriting that he didn't recognize also voted for the two girls. Well, he had said there would be no self voting. By the time that he got finished counting, there was a clear winning pair. Kurt and Blaine had won twelve votes, every vote except their own.

Will felt like this was an attack on him. The kids were just trying to make him look worse. "Guys, seriously? I know you like them, but they didn't even finish their song."

"Well, whose fault was that?" Puck asked from the back row.

"Yeah! Kurt and Blaine were great. You just didn't notice," Finn added.

The kids started whisper amongst themselves, without Will picking up anything in particular. He tried to direct attention back to the front, but they were obviously still reacting to yesterday. In annoyance, he started walking toward the door. "You know what? I just apologized. I can't do anything else. When you guys can put this behind you then feel free to come to my office and get me."

Will sat down in his office in a huff. The kids were just being petty now. He pulled out a stack of worksheets and began grading them. He wasn't surprised that Rachel came into his office a few minutes later. She was always the most devoted to the club.

She sat down in the seat in front of Will's desk and took a deep breath before starting to speak. "Mr. Shue, if my two gay dads sued you on Kurt and Blaine's behalf for what you said yesterday we would probably win." She seemed to be focusing on the name plate on his desk instead of his face. Her voice was determined, but still very bitter. "You called your gay students disgusting, perverted freaks. At the very least you're going to get fired if we bring this up to the proper school authorities." She paused while Will thought about what she was saying. His blood ran cold. He had been so angry that day. Kurt had antagonized him, and he had fallen into the trap. Those words were something he said in the heat of the moment; it didn't mean anything.

Before he could collect himself enough to respond, Rachel was continuing. "So, Kurt and I talked to Ms. Pillsbury about how tired and scatter-brained you've seemed lately. She said that in the event that you were too busy to coach New Directions, she would be willing to be our facility sponsor. At Blaine's old school they have a student-led Glee Club with an adult who just oversees proceedings every now and then. I think we could accomplish that here. Of course, you would need to step down first." Rachel glanced quickly into Will's eyes before looking down again. She seemed a little guilty.

Will was stunned. "Rachel, are you threatening to get me fired if I don't quiet the glee club?"

"I'm just presenting options," Rachel stood up and walked out of the door before Will could stop her. As the door swung closed, he could see Santana at Rachel side with a plotting smile on her face.

The kids didn't show up to Glee Practice after that. Any time he tried to approach them in the halls, they would either close ranks against him or allow themselves to get lost in the crowds. At one point he managed to catch Brittany walking alone after cheer practice, but she just shook her head and hurried away from him.

After four days he resigned his position as Glee Club leader, citing a need to concentrate more on his Spanish classes.

Emma took over the club very shortly afterward. Will wasn't sure what the kids told Emma and Shannon about him, but neither woman really spent much time with him anymore. Emma didn't talk to him as openly as she had before, and Shannon suddenly had too many tasks to get done for her to ever return his invitations to spend time together. Even Sue seemed aware that something had transpired, but she had only responded by walking into his office and informing him that he was now too pathetic to be considered a worthy adversary anymore. With a bullhorn.

A few weeks later he became aware that rumors were spreading throughout the student body about him: a wide range of stories from using hard drugs in his car in the parking lot to having a fetish for dead-body porn that he indulged during his free period. Students didn't visit him after class as much as they use to, and he got more pitying stares. He was sure that Santana or Puck must have been behind the vicious rumors, but neither teenager would get close enough for him to ask. He also heard rumors that the Glee Club is excelling, and that they might actually win nationals this year. Those rumors hurt too.

One day he sees Rachel alone in the hallway putting up posters. He walks by her, not expecting her to say anything. She suddenly speaks. "It was really your apology that was the last straw. Of course we were hurt before, but if you had admitted to having latent homophobic feelings that you were trying to work though we might have helped you. Instead you apologized that we misunderstood what you were saying. You apologized to us because you used the wrong words to describe your repulsive feelings toward gay couples. You apologized for the wrong reasons." She pauses, and he can hear her grab some tape as she plasters a bright 'Class of 2012' poster on the wall. She hasn't looked up from her work since she began talking. "More than a third of the club is part of the LBGT community, Mr. Shue. We couldn't have a teacher who thought they were perverted and disgusting." She walks away.

Will is left cursing the drama and fickleness of teenagers.

A/N: And thus ends my first fill for the Glee Angst Meme. I'm pretty happy with it; I think I want to try filling other prompts there eventually. Thank you for reading.


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